International agenda
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The fifth presidential elections in Croatia will take place 27 december. A second round, if the conditions for it are met, will be held on Sunday, January 10, 2010.

These candidates officially announced that will run for the presidential elections. Political party candidates were selected within party elections, or were elected by party bodies, and they are the only party's official candidates. All parliamentary parties have a policy to support only one candidate, and if they member announces independent nomination, automatically looses their party membership. Independent candidate Nadan Vidosevic lost his HDZ membership for announcing his nomination.

Each candidate has to receive 10,000 signatures from the date when actual president, Stipe Mesic, officially announces the beginning of electoral campaign. Each candidate can redraw from the election at any time.

The Chilean presidential election of 2009 is scheduled by law to take place on Sunday December 13, 2009. The election will determine the successor to Michelle Bachelet. The winner will be sworn in on March 11, 2010. Parliamentary elections will take place at the same time.

Chilean politics are dominated by two main coalitions: the center-left Concert of Parties for Democracy (Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia), composed of the Christian Democrat Party, the Socialist Party, the Party for Democracy, and the Social Democrat Radical Party; and the center-right Alliance for Chile (Alianza por Chile), composed of the Independent Democrat Union and National Renewal. The far-left Juntos Podemos Más pact, made up of the Communist and Humanist parties, has no representatives in Congress and is considered to have almost no chances of winning the presidency.

The conference is an initiative of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and will be co-organised together with the European Commission, DG Enlargement, and with the support of the Regional Cooperation Council.

The conference will be centred on how the region can overcome the global economic crisis with a heavy emphasis on regional cooperation.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between December 7 and December 18, 2009. The conference includes the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 5th Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol. According to the Bali Road Map, a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 is to be agreed there.

The conference was preceded by the Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions scientific conference, which took place in March 2009.

On January 28, 2009, the European Commission released a position paper, "Towards a comprehensive climate agreement in Copenhagen". The position paper "addresses three key challenges: targets and actions; financing [of "low-carbon development and adaptation"]; and building an effective global carbon market".

In order to demonstrate good example, the European Union had committed to implement to binding legislation, even without a satisfactory deal in Copenhagen. Last December, the European Union revised its carbon allowances system called the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) designed for the post Kyoto period (after 2013). This new stage of the system aims at further reducing greenhouse gases emitted in Europe in a binding way and at showing the commitments the EU had already done before the Copenhagen meeting. To avoid carbon leakage -relocation of companies in other regions not complying with similar legislation- the EU Commission will foresee that sectors exposed to international competition, should be granted some free allocations of CO2 emissions provided that they are at least at the same level of a benchmark. Other sectors should buy such credits on an international market. Energy intensive industries in Europe have advocated for this benchmark system in order to keep funds in investment capacities for low carbon products rather than for speculations. The European chemical industry claims here the need to be closer to the needs of citizens in a sustainable way. To comply with such commitments for a low carbon economy, this requires competitiveness and innovations.

The Liberal Democrat Party (PDL, centre-right) candidate and the country’s current president, Traian Basescu, and his Social Democrat (PSD) rival, Mircea Geoana, will face each other in the second round of the Romanian presidential elections.

On November 22, neither of the candidates received more than 50% of the votes: Basescu received 32.5% and Geoana 30.7%. The country has been without a government since 13 October, after the centre-right cabinet received a vote of no confidence.

On December 6, Bolivia will choose a President of the Republic, 130 deputies and 36 senators of the Legislature. There will be a referendum on regional autonomy in La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba and El Chaco.

Eight are the presidential candidates, including the current president, Evo Morales, who seeks re-election. Only Manfred Reyes, a former prefect of Cochabamba, for now seems to support more meaningful, and a fragmented opposition is hardly likely to succeed because in the polls Morales appears with a membership close to or above 40 percent.

The EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine, going beyond co-operation, to gradual economic integration and a deepening of political co-operation.

Ukraine is a priority partner country within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). A joint EU-Ukraine Action Plan was endorsed by the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council on 21 February 2005. It is based on the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) and provides a comprehensive and ambitious framework for joint work with Ukraine, in all key areas of reform.

The XIX summit of political leaders from Latin America will be held in Estoril, Portugal, and focus on innovation and technology.

The Ibero-American Summit (formally, the Ibero-American Summits of Heads of State and Governments, Spanish: Cumbres Iberoamericanas de Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno, Portuguese: Cúpulas Ibero-Americanas de Chefes de Estado e de Governo or Cimeiras Ibero-Americanas de Chefes de Estado e de Governo), is a yearly meeting, organized by the Iberoamerican Community of Nations, of the heads of government and state of the Spanish-, Portuguese-speaking nations of Europe and the Americas. Although Spanish and Portuguese are the languages of the organization, other languages are spoken by members, such as Catalan in Andorra, Guarini in Paraguay or Quechua in Peru. The first summit, held in 1991 in Guadalajara, Mexico, was attended by the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela. Andorra joined in 2004

The 12 th EU-China Summit will take place in Nanjing. Participants from the side of the Commission will be the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso and Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

This Summit will build upon on a series of successful meetings in 2009, notably the 11th EU-China Summit in Prague on 20 May as well as the visit of Vice-President Xi Jinping to Brussels on 8 October, where he had a successful meeting with President Barroso.

Côte d'Ivoire elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people. The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 225 members, elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies. Côte d'Ivoire is a one party dominant state with the Ivorian People's Front in power. Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power.

Chief of state: President Laurent Gbagbo (since 26 October 2000). Head of government: Prime Minister Guillaume Soro (since 4 April 2007). Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the current power-sharing agreement the prime minister and the president share the authority to appoint ministers.

Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (elections were to be held in 2008 but have been repeatedly postponed by the government; the UN Security Council has extended the government's mandate); prime minister appointed by the president. Election results: Laurent GBAGBO elected president, 59.4%; Robert GUEI 32.7%; Francis WODIE 5.7%; other 2.2%

It seemed as though the institutional political crisis generated by the coup in June had been overcome. According to the agreement at the beginning of the month, the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya will return to power before the elections, as long as he does not put himself forward for re-election.

Honduras elects on national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The President of Honduras is elected for a four-year year term by the people. The unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) has 128 members (diputados), elected for four year term by proportional representation to represent the country's various departments. Honduras' presidential elections are held on the last Sunday of November of the election year. The next presidential elections will occur on November 29, 2009.

Honduras has a two-party system, which means that there are two dominant political parties: the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH) and the National Party of Honduras (PNH). The other three registered parties, which all produce a candidate for the Presidential election, are the Democratic Unification Party (PUD), the Christian Democratic Party of Honduras (DC) and the Innovation and Unity Party (PINU)

The former guerrilla Jose "Pepe" Mujica was the favorite in the presidential elections on October 25, but did not achieve the absolute majority and will face a runoff against former President Luis Alberto Lacalle.

A presidential and parliamentary election will be held on 27–28 November 2009 in Namibia. At a SWAPO party congress in November 2007, current President Hifikepunye Pohamba was elected as President of SWAPO and was also picked to represent the party in 2009.

The office of President is five years (with possibility of reelection). The last presidential election was held in November 2004 with the following results:

Romania elects on a national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people (after a change from four-year terms after the 2004 election). The Romanian Parliament (Parlamentul României) has two chambers. The Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor) has 346 members, elected for a four year term by proportional representation. The Senate (Senatul) has 143 members, elected for a four year term by proportional representation. Romania has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. In 2007, for the first time, Romanians elected their representatives to the European Parliament. The date for these elections was 25 November. See also European Parliament election, 2007.

The President is elected in a two round system for a five years term. If one candidate obtains the majority of all the registered voters in the country, he or she is declared the winner. if none of the candidates obtains that number of votes, the winner of the first two candidates that obtained the most votes participate in a run-off. The candidate that obtains most votes is declared the winner.

The term of the president is five years. Between 1992 and 2004 the term was of four years, but was enlarged following the 2003 Constitutional referendum. One person can serve a maximum of two terms, that may be consecutive.

In order to be able to run for the Office of President a candidate mus fulfill the following conditions: be a born Romanian citizen, be at least 40 years of age (at least on the day of the election), and not have held the office twice for two terms since 1992.

After an introductory round of consultations with his fellow heads of state and government, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has decided to convene an extra informal summit on 19 November.

It is hoped that at the summit, agreement can be reached on the appointment of the three new top EU posts regulated in the Treaty of Lisbon. It involves a permanent President of the European Council, a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and a Secretary-General for the Council Secretariat.

In 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December). This action came in the wake of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the Assembly in 1993 (resolution 48/126). The Year had been declared on the initiative of the General Conference of UNESCO. On 16 November 1995, the UNESCO member States had adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year.

The 2005 World Summit Outcome document (A/RES/60/1), outlines the commitment of Heads of State and Government to advance human welfare, freedom and progress everywhere, as well as to encourage tolerance, respect, dialogue and cooperation among different cultures, civilizations and peoples.

The global food insecurity situation has worsened and continues to represent a serious threat for humanity. With food prices remaining stubbornly high in developing countries, the number of people suffering from hunger has been growing relentlessly in recent years. The global economic crisis is aggravating the situation by affecting jobs and deepening poverty. FAO estimates that the number of hungry people could increase by a further 100 million in 2009 and pass the one billion mark.

The key challenges
1) To eradicate hunger from the earth. Not only to ensure sufficient food production to feed a world population that will grow by 50 percent and reach 9 billion by 2050, but also find ways to guarantee that everyone has access to the food they need for an active and healthy life.

2) To put in place a more coherent and effective system of governance of food security at both national and international levels.

3) To make sure developing countries have a fair chance of competing in world commodity markets and that agricultural support policies do not unfairly distort international trade.

4) To find ways to ensure that farmers in both developed and developing countries can earn incomes comparable to those of secondary and tertiary sector workers in their respective countries.

5) To mobilize substantial additional public and private sector investments in agriculture and rural infrastructure and ensure farmers’ access to modern inputs to boost food production and productivity in the developing world, particularly in low-income and food-deficit countries.

6) Considering that 30 or more countries are currently experiencing food emergencies, to agree more effective mechanisms for early reaction to food crises.

7) To ensure that countries are prepared to adapt to climate change and mitigate negative effects.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries (styled "member economies") to cooperate on regional trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation. APEC's objective is to enhance economic growth and prosperity in the region and to strengthen the Asia-Pacific community. Members account for approximately 40% of the world's population, approximately 54% of world GDP and about 44% of world trade.

An annual APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, attended by the heads of government of all APEC members (with the exception of the Republic of China which is represented under the name Chinese Taipei by a ministerial-level official at the behest of the People's Republic of China. The location of the meeting rotates annually among the member economies, and a famous tradition involves the attending Leaders dressing in a national costume of the host member.

The Political Dimensions of the World Economic Crisis: A Global Perspective

Financial and economic crises have inevitable political dimensions. Because of the nature of our Membership, the Club of Madrid can effectively use the political leadership experience of our Members - 70 democratic former Heads of State or Government - to support current leadership, particularly that from young democracies, identifying and sharing the tools and policies needed to avert the potential backtracking of democracy that the crisis could trigger, as well as those that could boost the legitimacy and accountability of global governance, shifting mindsets and practices towards a renewed system reflecting the changes our world has witnessed in the last sixty years.

The first High-level Symposium to prepare for the 2010 DCF will be organized by UN/DESA jointly with the Government of Austria in Vienna on 12-13 November 2009. As a true multi-stakeholder event, the Vienna Symposium on “Accountable and Transparent Development Cooperation: Towards a More Inclusive Framework” will bring together Southern and Northern policy-makers to identify key challenges in making mutual accountability mechanisms more effective at the global and at the country level and to discuss possible common standards in mutual accountability and aid transparency.

The Vienna HLS will also include interactive discussions on how to improve information and analysis of South-South development cooperation flows, including how such cooperation can promote other types of financing for development from the perspective of developing countries.

The 2009 AEC will hold in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 11-13, 2009, and will consist of plenary and parallel (break-out) sessions. The plenary speakers are outstanding scholars in various fields of economics as well as high-level policy-makers in member state governments. Parallel sessions will be based on submitted papers.

The AEC was inaugurated in November 2006 by the African Development Bank. Since 2007, it is co-organized by the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the Union's member states along with the President of the European Commission. Its meeting is chaired by the member from the member state currently holding Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Mozambique on 28 October 2009.

Executive branch:
Chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2 February 2005).
Head of government: Prime Minister Luisa DIOGO (since 17 February 2004).
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last held elections: December 2004; prime minister appointed by the president.
Election results: Armando GUEBUZA 63.7%. Afonso DHLAKAMA 31.7%

Legislative branch:
Unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Elections: last held December 2004.
Election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62%, RENAMO 29.7%, other 8.3%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO 90

Within the context of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Special Meeting of the American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) will continue the dialogue that the High Authorities of cooperation began in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in October 2008.

This Special Meeting of CIDI will seek to demonstrate the potential of cooperation in the framework of the OAS, to institutionalize an area of high-level dialogue between the authorities of Member States' cooperation and engage the cooperation authorities and other international actors to use of the OAS as an effective means to maximize their revenues, among other things.

Chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005).
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval. President and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms). election last held: 31 October 2004.
Election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president (50.5%); LARRANAGA 35.1%; STIRLING 10.3%; other 4.1%

Bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004; Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004.
Election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1.

Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Tunisia on October 25, 2009.

Chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987). Head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999). Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president.
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits). Election last held on 24 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009).
Last election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Parliamentary bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors and professional associations and trade unions. 41 members are presidential appointees. Members serve six-year terms).
Elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24 October 2004. Chamber of Advisors - last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in July 2011).

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, the protection of the peace and stability of the region, and to provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

The 15th ASEAN Summit, themed "Enhancing Connectivity, Empowering Peoples", will be held in Cha-Am/Hua Hin, Thailand, from 23 to 25 October 2009.

One of the main highlights of this Summit will be the inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. The Commission will work for the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN and the inauguration will represent yet another historic milestone for the region.

The European Development Days are a yearly event hosted jointly by the European Commission and the EU Presidency.
The European Development Days bring some 4 000 people and 1 500 organisations from the development community together on an equal footing. Delegates from 125 countries are represented, including heads of state and leading world figures, Nobel prizewinners among them.
The event aims to make development aid more effective, to build a global coalition against poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Through frank and sometimes controversial debates on pressing issues, such as governance, poverty and environmental sustainability, the European Development Days provide unprecedented opportunities for sharing ideas and launching innovative partnerships.

The next EU-LAC Summit will take place on 18 May 2010 in Madrid, preceded by a Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs on 17 May. The theme of the Summit will be: “Towards a new stage in the bi-regional partnership: Innovation and Technology for sustainable development and social inclusion”. The Madrid Summit aims to bring together not only Heads of State and Governments from Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe, but also important non-state actors.

This meeting is based on a bi-regional strategic partnership based on the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted at the First Summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1999.

The meeting evaluated the progress in the field of economic, poverty, equity and social justice in FTA several points vary depending on the region where it is headquartered.

Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis
At a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories. The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, where 70 percent of the world's hungry live and work.

With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.

Both public and private investments are needed, more specifically through targeted public investment to encourage and facilitate private investment, especially by farmers themselves.

On the occasion of World Food Week and World Food Day 2009, let us reflect on those numbers and the human suffering behind them. Crisis or no crisis, we have the know-how to do something about hunger. We also have the ability to find money to solve problems when we consider them important. Let us work together to make sure hunger is recognized as a critical problem, and solve it. The World Summit on Food Security proposed by FAO for November 2009 could be fundamental for eradicating hunger.

The Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group each year bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness. The Meetings, which are widely covered by the international media, also offer an opportunity for civil society organizations to share their views and interact with policymakers in a global setting.

On 17 December 1985, the UN General Assembly decided to designate the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day.

The theme of this year's World Habitat Day is "Planning Our Urban Future".

It is acknowledged that cities are one of the major contributors of greenhouse
gas emissions. Cities therefore have a key role to play in climate change mitigation
by promoting energy efficiency through more appropriate land-use planning, more
efficient urban management and green building practices.

At the same time, the vulnerability of cities to the effects of climate change is a critical issue of concern. The importance of creating awareness of the implications of climate change for all aspects of human living cannot be overemphasized. As in the case of the financial crisis, those who contribute the least to the problem, namely the urban poor, are those who are the most severely affected by it. Such trends, within the context of a rapidly urbanizing world, point to a defining moment in the convergence of the human settlements and environmental agendas and the need to bridge what has been long perceived as two distinct arenas for policy and action.

Ireland, the only country where the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty is still pending, was on 19 June granted the opportunity to call a new referendum on the text which it rejected a year ago. Dublin managed to ensure that the guarantees it was demanding (on military neutrality, the right to life, fiscal autonomy and social rights) were established as a protocol. The Irish government under Brian Cowen has thus ensured that these guarantees will be incorporated into the EU’s legal framework from the next treaty of accession of a new member, which could be Croatia or Iceland.

The agreement reached by the 27 member states will also keep firmly shut the Pandora’s box of potential new parliamentary ratifications, as the president of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, had warned. The approved text, which is now to be the subject of a referendum, specifically establishes that the content of the protocol ‘is completely compatible with the Lisbon Treaty and will not require the treaty to be re-ratified’. It also establishes that ‘the protocol will not alter in any way relations between the EU and the member states’. ‘The protocol’, he added, ‘will clarify, but will not modify, the content or application of the Lisbon Treaty’.

The Lisbon Treaty contains the essence of the European Constitution after its rejection by France and Holland in 2005.

Donors and recipients of development aid will gather in the Mexican capital to discuss triangular cooperation and its implications for the aid architecture. On the basis of the Accra Agenda for Action, entry point for triangular cooperation to become part of the aid effectiveness agenda will be identified.

The 17th German federal election is scheduled for September 27, 2009 and will be held to elect the members of the Bundestag, the federal parliament (614 seat for a four year term)

Since the 2005 election, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is governing in a grand coalition with the SPD. However, it is her stated goal to win a majority for CDU/CSU and FDP (the CDU/CSU's traditional coalition partner) in 2009. Foreign minister and Vice chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) was formally nominated as his party's chancellor-candidate at a convention on October 18, 2008. He aims to form a government in which the SPD is the strongest party, but which also excludes "The Left", the successor to the SED.

The Christian Democrats of Chancellor Angela Merkel still retain a significant advantage in the polls over his closest rivals and government partners, the Social Democrats Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The four main organs of the national government are the presidency, the prime minister and Council of Ministers (the government), the Assembly of the Republic (the parliament), and the judiciary. The Assembly of the Republic is a unicameral body composed of up to 230 deputies. Elected by universal suffrage according to a system of proportional representation, deputies serve terms of office of 4 years, unless the president dissolves the assembly and calls for new elections.

The next G20 summit is due to take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 24–25, 2009. Announced shortly after the April 2009 G-20 London summit, U.S. President Barack Obama volunteered to host this summit, initially planning to hold it in New York City and coordinating it with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. However, due to coordination issues, on May 28, 2009, the Obama Administration announced a change of venue to Pittsburgh in order to highlight the city's economic recovery following the collapse of its manufacturing sector in the latter half of the 20th century.

In response to the Global credit crisis, a G20 summit in one year was proposed shortly after the London summit in April 2009. The second G20 2009 summit will hopefully evaluate the measures taken in April 2009 in London and implement new policies which will stimulate the global economy.

Amongst the issues to be discussed is a proposal to radically reform the International Monetary Fund. The French President Nicholas Sarkozy suggested that there would be an "evaluation" of measures already taken.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting is the only venue where business, government, and civil-sector leaders work together to plan and launch specific projects – Commitments to Action – to address global economic, environmental, and social challenges. This year, the financial crisis is making it more important than ever for us to reimagine the world we want to build.

To respond to the economic challenges facing our members and the broader global community, CGI has identified four Action Areas – points of collaboration and intervention – that will help create economic value for our members and society:

The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 for “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and people”.

Twenty years later, the General Assembly set 21 September as the date to observe the occasion annually as a “day of global ceasefire and non-violence… through education and public awareness and to cooperate in the establishment of a global ceasefire”.

This year, as we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the 60th anniversary of UN peacekeeping, the Day offers an opportunity to spotlight the crucial relationship between peace and human rights, which are increasingly recognized as inseparable. In the aftermath of World War II, world leaders acknowledged that “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts” and have prevented the “advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy…freedom from fear and want”.

Today, we are still struggling to achieve this vision. Too many conflicts, from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to conflicts in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Darfur, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cause unnecessary loss of life and have a devastating impact on the structures that maintain societies, such as education, health and justice systems and the maintenance of law and order.

The DAC task team on South-South cooperation is a partner country platform which will map and analyse the synergies between South-South cooperation and the aid effectiveness agenda, within the implementation of the Accra Agenda for Action. Heading to the 2010 High-Level Meeting on South-South cooperation and capacity development in Colombia, the task team is committed to generate good practices on the basis of case studies led by Southern actors. Its launch is expected with high expectations regarding the future role and influence of Southern countries in the global governance of aid.

Parliamentary elections will be held in Norway on 14 September 2009. Early voting will be possible from 10 August 2009, while municipalities may choose to also hold open voting on 13 September. Voters will elect 169 members for the Storting, which is elected for four years at a time.

Candidates will be elected on party lists in each of the 19 counties. The political parties nominated candidates for these lists through autumn 2008 and the winter of 2009.

Modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats but, in 2009, the number of seats will change to 165.

Elections: last held 12 September 2005.
Election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%, Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party 8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal Party 5.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - Labor Party 61, Progress Party 38, Conservative Party 23, Socialist Left Party 15, Christian People's Party 11, Center Party 11, Liberal Party 10.

Note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and three-fourths of its membership in the Odelsting.

The Japanese prime minister, Taro Aso, called for early general elections last July after his party was defeated by the opposition Democratic Party. In the elections to the Assembly in Tokyo, The Democratic Party (DP) won 54 seats compared with 38 of the Liberal Democratic Party government (PLD), which marks the end of four decades of dominance in the Assembly of the capital . Elections in Tokyo has always been consider as a barometer that can anticipate the outcomes.

The low popularity of Aso and the worst economic crisis since World War II put the PLD in a very complicated position to revalidate his leadership after more than half a century in power, except for a brief period of less than a year in the nineties . Aso is now facing heavy pressure from his party leadership to abandon it before the election.

A presidential election will be held in Gabon on 30 August 2009 after the incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba died on 8 June 2009. While the constitution stated that Interim President Rose Francine Rogombé should organise elections within 30 to 45 days, the Constitutional Court accepted the government's request for a delay due to the circumstances.

23 candidates are standing for election, including the son of Bongo Ondimba, Ali.

The extraordinary summit was scheduled after the one made last August 10 due to the controversy generated by the agreement for use of military bases by the United States in Colombia. Hugo Chávez, Evo Morales and Rafael Correa has criticized strongly the government of Álvaro Uribe for this initiative

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR known by its acronym) is a political and economic community that integrates the twelve independent countries of South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

UNASUR aims to build a participatory and consensual, an area of integration and unity in the cultural, social, economic and political development among its members, using political dialogue, social policies, education, energy, infrastructure, finance and the environment, among others, to eliminate inequality, social inclusion, citizen participation and strengthening democracy. Its founding treaty was signed on May 23, 2008 in Brasilia where the structure of the Union was formalized. During the past summit, the president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, was elected president pro tempore of the organization for a period of one year.

Afghans will directly elect their President for the second time on 20 August 2009. Taliban insurgents have called for a boycott and threatened to block roads on polling day. But 41 candidates, including incumbent Hamid Karzai but only two women, are standing.

In Afghanistan, the President is the head of the executive branch. The President serves as the head of state and the Command-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan. He or she is elected by receiving more than 50% of the votes cast through free, general, secret, and direct voting. If none of the candidates for President receive more than 50% of the votes in the first round, a run-off election is held within two weeks. In this round, only two candidates with the highest number of votes are allowed to participate. In the run-off, the candidate who gets the majority of the votes will be elected as the President. The President serves a 5-year term. The executive branch also includes two Vice Presidents and members of the cabinet. Cabinet Ministers are appointed by the President and approved by the National Assembly.

President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); First Vice President Ahmad Zia MASOOD; Second Vice President Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004).
Cabinet: 25 ministers.

Some candidates:

1. Hamid Karzai, 53, is a Pashtun and the incumbent President of Afghanistan.
Is the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Afghanistan's presidential elections were held on October 9, 2004, and on November 3, 2004, the Joint Electoral Management Body of Afghanistan finally certified the elections and declared Hamid Karzai the winner with 55.4% of the votes. He took the Presidential oath of allegiance at Salam Khana Palace on December 7, 2004 in the presence of dignitaries and officials from around the world.

Before that, Karzai served as the President of the Transitional Government in Afghanistan; he was chosen as head of state by a Loya Jirga in June 2002. Hamid Karzai was not widely known until he was chosen to lead a provisional administration which was set up in Bonn, Germany in December 2001. Karzai was actually a compromise that was reached between the former king's (Mohammad Zahir) supporters and the United Front (UNIFSA), whose ground troops, with help from the United States, defeated the Taliban and drove them out of Kabul.

During the Soviet war, Karzai helped transfer arms and money to the Mujahideen, and also later served as deputy foreign minister under President Burhanuddin Rabbani. However, when the Taliban emerged on the scene, Karzai supported them, and even worked as a consultant to help a major US oil company, Unocal sign a deal with the Taliban to build a pipeline through Afghanistan. The deal was not reached after women rights organizations in the United States put pressure on Unocal to not do business with the Taliban due to their extremely oppressive treatment of women in the country. Eventually, Karzai grew tired of the Taliban and later in 2001, after the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, began to secretly work with the United States to find an alternative to Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

Karzai was born in 1957, and comes from the well known Popalzai tribe.

2. Abdullah Abdullah, 49, born of a Pashtun father and Tajik mother, is seen as the leading challenger to Hamid Karzai. He promises to restore Afghans’ faith in government and to have zero tolerance for corruption.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Replaced by Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta in 2006.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, son of Ghulam Mahyyod- Din Zmaryalay (Senator of the last period of Parliament) was born in 1960 in a religious family in Kabul. Dr. Abdullah graduated from Naderia High School in 1976 and went on to study ophthalmology at Kabul University’s Department of Medicine where he received an M.D. degree in 1983. After receiving his degree, Dr. Abdullah served as the Resident Ophthalmologist at Noor Eye Institute in Kabul until 1985.

3. Ashraf Ghani, 60, is a Pashtun, who promises to fight poverty with economic development. Ghani, who holds a PhD degree in Anthropology from Colombia University in New York, is an Afghan-American intellectual who served briefly as Hamid Karzai's chief advisor in his interim administration and eventually was chosen as Afghanistan's finance minister from 2002 - 2004, during Hamid Karzai's transitional administration. Before joining the Afghan government, Ghani held positions with the United Nations and the World Bank, and helped prepare the Bonn Agreement.

4. .Ramazan Bashardost. Parliamentarian and Minister of Planning from 2004 to 2005, Bashardost of 43 years, belongs to the minority Hazara (9% of the country), religious Shiite. He was educated in France, where he earned a doctorate in Law and an MA in Political Science and Diplomacy. Has been critic of government corruption and the role of NGOs in Afghanistan. In campaign has emerged as a man of the people and promised that if elected, will not allow the stay of foreign troops.

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR known by its acronym) is a political and economic community that integrates the twelve independent countries of South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

UNASUR aims to build a participatory and consensual, an area of integration and unity in the cultural, social, economic and political development among its members, using political dialogue, social policies, education, energy, infrastructure, finance and the environment, among others, to eliminate inequality, social inclusion, citizen participation and strengthening democracy. Its founding treaty was signed on May 23, 2008 in Brasilia where the structure of the Union was formalized. During the past summit, the president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, was elected president pro tempore of the organization for a period of one year.

The summit of UNASUR will be held on August 10 in Quito, Ecuador, where President Correa will assume the chairmanship of the organization. For now, Álvaro Uribe is the only president who has not confirm his attendance to the summit.

Malam Bacai Sanhá, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and Kumba Yala's Social Renewal Party (PRS), will vie for the Presidency of Guinea Bissau in a runoff on August 2.

Sanha and Yala, both former presidents of Guinea Bissau have been the two most voted candidates of the first round held on June 28 last, according to results released by the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

Sanha managed a total of 133,783 votes (39.59%) and Yala 99,428 votes (29.42%). Henrique Rosa, also a former president and an independent candidate, is the third most votes, with a total of 81,751 votes (24.19%), so their voters can be the arbiters of the dispute in the second round.

A total of 11 candidates participated in the June elections to replace President Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was killed in March by a group of soldiers in retaliation for an attack that claimed the life of the chief of the Armed Forces, General Tagme Na Wai.

A parliamentary election is scheduled to take place in Moldova on 29 July 2009. The country's parliament, elected months earlier, was dissolved by president Vladimir Voronin on June 15, 2009, after it had twice failed to elect a new president.

The political crisis in Honduras, the elimination of the U.S. dollar as reference currency in commercial transactions intrazona and the recurring theme of the asymmetries of Paraguay and Uruguay against the strongest economies in Argentina and Brazil, will be the key points of the XXXVII Mercosur Summit to be held in Asuncion on Thursday and Friday.

The meeting, presided by Fernando Lugo, will be attended by the presidents of Bolivia, Evo Morales; Chile, Michelle Bachelet, as well as Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Rafael Correa of Ecuador, withdrew to attend.

Mercosur is a Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people, and currency.

Mercosur origins trace back to 1985 when Presidents Raúl Alfonsín of Argentina and José Sarney of Brazil signed the Argentina-Brazil Integration and Economics Cooperation Program or PICE (Spanish: Programa de Integración y Cooperación Económica Argentina-Brasil, Portuguese: Programa de Integração e Cooperação Econômica Argentina-Brasil). The program also proposed the Gaucho as a currency for regional trade.

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru currently have associate member status. Venezuela signed a membership agreement on 17 June 2006, but before becoming a full member its entry has to be ratified by the Paraguayan and the Brazilian parliaments.

The founding of the Mercosur Parliament was agreed at the December 2004 presidential summit. It should have 18 representatives from each country by 2010.

Kyrgyzstan elects on the national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term (before the 2009 election, for a four-year term).

The date of the election was set after the constitutional court ruled that the extension of the presidential term from four to five years did not apply until the next presidential election, calling for elections by 25 October 2009. In response, a parliament committee proposed the July election date, which was then passed by the incumbent president Kurmanbek Bakiyev's Ak Zhol-dominated parliament. Bakiyev had previously announced his intention to run for reelection and was renominated on 1 May 2009.

On 20 April 2009, the United Opposition announced its candidate, Almazbek Atambayev, the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, the only opposition party represented in parliament. Another opposition politician, former defence minister, Ismail Isakov, announced on 19 May 2009 that he would withdraw from the race to improve Atambayev's chances.

Apart from Bakiyev and Atambayev, three more candidacies have been approved: Those of Toktaiym Umetalieva (chairwoman of the Association of Nongovernmental and Nonprofit Organizations), physician Nazar Aliev and Tamir Sariev.

Chief of state: President Kurmanbek BAKIEV (since 14 August 2005).Head of government: Prime Minister Igor CHUDINOV (since 24 December 2007). First Deputy Prime Minister Omurbek BABANOV (since 26 January 2009). The Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president; ministers in charge of defense and security, appointed solely by the president.

Elections: Kurmanbek BAKIEV elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term). Last election held 10 July 2005. Prime Minister nominated by the parliamentary party holding more than 50% of the seats; if no such party exists, the president selects the party that will nominate a PM.

A presidential election will be held in Mauritania on 18 July 2009 (with a second round, if necessary, on 1 August 2009). It was originally planned for 6 June 2009,[1] following the coup d'état which deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi on 6 August 2008. After the coup, the new junta (the High Council of State) promised that a presidential election would be held "as soon as possible".[2]

On 15 September 2008, the National Assembly adopted plans to hold "free and fair elections" within 12–14 months, setting the election date in late 2009 at the latest.[3] The chosen date of 6 June 2009 was announced by the official media on 23 January 2009.[4] The President of the High Council of State, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who led the 2008 coup, stepped down as head of state in April 2009 in order to stand as a candidate. The opposition initially planned to boycott the election, arguing that the junta pursued a unilateral electoral agenda, and as a result Abdel Aziz was widely expected to win the election.[5] Later, however, the opposition agreed to participate as part of a deal with the junta in June 2009, making the election appear more competitive.

Mauritania elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. Prior to 2006, the president was elected for a six year term by the people, with no term limits; following the constitutional referendum of June 2006, presidential terms are now five years, with a two-term limit and a maximum age limit of 75. The Parliament (Barlamane/Parlement) has two chambers. The National Assembly (Al Jamiya al-Wataniyah/Assemblée Nationale) has 81 members, elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies. The Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh/Sénat) has 56 members, 53 members elected for a six year term by municipal councillors with one third renewed every two years and 3 members elected by Mauritanians abroad.

Ange Edouard Poungui, who was Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, has been chosen as the candidate of the largest opposition party, the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS),[2] while Mathias Dzon, who was Minister of Finance from 1997 to 2002, has been chosen as the candidate of the Alliance for the Republic and Democracy (ARD), a coalition of opposition parties. The current President, Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT), has not declared his candidacy, but is widely expected to run.

On 23 February 2009, the formation of an alliance between the PCT and the opposition Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD) was announced. The parties agreed to present a single candidate in the 2009 presidential election, and the RDD agreed to join the government if their joint candidate (presumed to be Denis Sassou Nguesso) won the election.

President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA. Head of government: Prime Minister Isidore MVOUBA (since 7 January 2005)
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 March 2002. Election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%

President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO and his vice president were elected for five-year terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote. Last elections held 20 September 2004 (election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%).

The 2009 G8 Summit will be held on L'Aquila from 8 to 10 July. Italy, which took over the presidency of the G8 on 1 January, is responsible for hosting and organising not only the annual summit but also the preparatory meetings ahead of the three-day summit.

The members of G8, are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States

Legislative elections will be held in Argentina for half the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seats in the Senate on 28 June 2009, as well as for the legislature of the City of Buenos Aires and other municipalities.

The elections were due to have been held on 25 October 2009. In March 2009, the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, moved to bring forward the date of elections to the Buenos Aires City legislature to June, saying that it would increase transparency and democratic quality. Opposition figures criticised the decision, suggesting Macri was attempting to consolidate his power in the city, and building the career of his deputy, Gabriela Michetti, expected to head the list for Macri's coalition in the election. Similar changes to the election date had been introduced in the provinces of Santa Fe and Catamarca (March 2009).

Despite the criticism by politicians from Government ranks that Macri had abused the process by unilaterally changing the election date, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced that she too would be introducing legislation to move the date of national elections forward to June. Despite great debate and the defections of some Peronist legislators, the proposal passed its Congressional stages quickly and the date was successfully changed. The Government claimed it would allow politicians to leave behind campaigning priorities and focus on the economic crisis.

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in western Africa, and one of the smallest states in continental Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. Its size is nearly 37,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,600,000. Formerly the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea, upon independence, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with the Republic of Guinea. Guinea-Bissau's GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world.

President Raimundo Pereira, who as Parliamentary Speaker succeeded President VIERA, following his assassination on 2 March 2009; a presidential election is scheduled for 28 June 2009. Head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 25 December 2008)

President elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits). Election last held: 24 July 2005 (next to be held 28 June 2009 following the assassination of President VIERA). Prime Minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature

One of the world's foremost gathering points for the broader humanitarian community, it takes place every summer in the humanitarian capital of Geneva.

Chaired by Kofi Annan, the event unites in engaged debate leading people committed to making progress on humanitarian concerns from across the global society – be they royalty, presidents, ministers, mayors, civil society and international organization heads, CEOs, talented young people, leading academics, journalists and commentators, scientists or entrepreneurs.

Objectives

Define Future Policy: Leading people from all different backgrounds meet to establish future policy priorities in order to overcome key humanitarian challenges
Trigger New Collective Action: Linking and engaging key people from different sectors, including those not usually working side-by-side, to develop solutions in partnership to pressing and emerging humanitarian challenges
Raise Awareness: Provide leaders with access to the highest level of debates on humanitarian issues of cross-cutting interest, and increase exposure through media coverage of specific humanitarian concerns

José Manuel Durão Barroso, 53, current president of the Commission, will seek reelection to a second term as head of the european institution. The alternative headed by the chairman of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, was unsuccessful due to lack of support within his own group. Also discussed were the names of Pascal Lamy, director of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the former Belgian prime minister, the Liberal Guy Verhofstadt, who would get more support if they have the votes of socialists, greens and Liberals.

The European Council brings together the heads of state or government of the European Union and the president of the Commission. It defines the general political guidelines of the European Union. The decisions taken at the Council meetings represent a major impetus in defining the general political guidelines of the European Union.

The Council is made up of the ministers of the Member States. It meets in nine different configurations depending on the subjects under discussion. For example, the “General Affairs and External Relations” configuration is made up of foreign affairs ministers, the “Justice and Home Affairs” configuration of justice and home affairs ministers, etc.

All the work of the Council is prepared or co-ordinated by the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER), made up of the permanent representatives of the Member States working in Brussels and their assistants. The work of this Committee is itself prepared by some 250 committees and working groups consisting of delegates from the Member States.

Among these, certain committees have a specific role of providing co-ordination and expertise in a given area, such as, for example, the Economic and Financial Committee, the Political and Security Committee (in charge of monitoring the international situation in the areas of foreign policy and common security and of providing, under the responsibility of the Council, political supervision and strategic direction in crisis management operations) and the Co-ordinating Committee, responsible for preparing work in the area of police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters.

World Economic Forum on East Asia
Seoul, Republic of Korea, 18-19 June 2009
"Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for East Asia"

The magnitude of the unprecedented economic crisis has shaken the belief that robust intra-Asian trade and consumption alone would be enough to alleviate pressure on an unbalanced global economy. Asia’s large foreign currency reserves, vast domestic consumer markets in China and India, and high growth in Vietnam and Indonesia could not shield Asia from the effects of the massive slowdown in global demand and the credit crunch.

Leaders of the so-called BRIC nations will discuss ways to reshape the global financial system after the worst economic crisis for decades and ideas for a new reserve currency to reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar may be on the agenda.

In economics, BRIC or BRICs is an acronym that refers to the fast growing developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Bunyamin Topcu argues that the economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, and China is such that they may become among the four most dominant economies by the year 2050. The thesis was proposed by Jim O'Neill, global economist at Goldman Sachs.[6] These countries encompass over twenty-five percent of the world's land coverage, forty percent of the world's population and hold a combined GDP (PPP) of 15.435 trillion dollars. On almost every scale, they would be the largest entity on the global stage. These four countries are among the biggest and fastest growing Emerging Markets.

M. Ahmadinejad: Current president of 52 years, is an ultraconservative, highly critical of Israel and with the U.S. Have support in the rural sectors and the ultras.

Mohsen Rezai: Former commander of the Revolutionary Guard of 54 years. Is ultraconservative. Secretary of the Council of Discernment, a consultative body of the supreme leader. Has promised to form a cabinet with the best politicians, whatever their political color.

Mehdi Karrubi: He was Speaker of the Parliament earlier this decade. It is the only candidate who is defined as a reformer. He founded his own party after the victory of Ahmadinejad in 2005. Born in 1937, is a defender of human rights and women.

Mir Hossein Musavi: He was prime minister in the eighties. He is currently president of the Iranian Academy of Arts. Has 67 years. Is presented as an independent supported by the then president between 1997 and 2005, Mohammad Khatami. An advocate of improving relations with the West.

Chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989). Head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August 2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005).

Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries. Note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts (Majles-Khebregan), a popularly elected body charged with determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency Council or the Council for the Discernment of Expediency (Majma-e-Tashkise-Maslahat-e-Nezam) exerts supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the Council of Guardians disagree and since 1989 has been used to advise national religious leaders on matters of national policy; in 2005 the Council's powers were expanded to act as a supervisory body for the government; 3) Council of Guardians of the Constitution or Council of Guardians or Guardians Council (Shora-ye Negaban-e Qanun-e Assassi) determines whether proposed legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law, vets candidates for suitability, and supervises national elections.

Elections: Supreme Leader is appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term and third nonconsecutive term); last held 17 June 2005 with a two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next presidential election slated for 12 June 2009).

World Economic Forum on Africa
Cape Town, South Africa, 10-12 June 2009
"Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for Africa"

Faced with the prospect of a prolonged economic slowdown, global leaders are assessing the health and future of their respective economies. The birth of a new era is calling for an overhaul of our governance and financial systems and a return to responsible and accountable leadership.

On 4-7 June, approximately 500 million European citizens have an appointment with Europe: elections for the European Parliament. These will be the sixth to be held in Spain, and the first to be held in the enlarged Europe of 27 member states. In Spain, the elections for the European Parliament will take place on Sunday 7 June 2009.

Presidential elections in Mauritania will be held on June 6, 10 months after the coup d'état led by General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz and that overthrew the constitutionally elected former president, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheij Abdalahi.

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The day's agenda is to:

Give a human face to environmental issues;
Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues;
Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.
The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.

This year’s host is Mexico which reflects the growing role of the Latin American country in the fight against climate change, including its growing participation in the carbon markets.

Mexico is also a leading partner in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign. The country, with the support of its President and people, has spearheaded the pledging and planting of some 25 per cent of the trees under the campaign. Accounting for around 1.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the country is demonstrating its commitment to climate change on several fronts.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon states that the WED celebration will “further underline Mexico's determination to manage natural resources and deal with the most demanding challenge of the 21st century – climate change.”

The Thirty-Ninth Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) will be held from 2 to June 3, 2009, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The inaugural session will be held on Tuesday, June 2 at 9 am in the Social Center Hondureño Arabic, with the participation of President of the Republic of Honduras, José Manuel Zelaya, and OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza .

The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 1 to 3 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to assess the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations, and initiate a needed dialogue on the transformation of the international financial architecture, taking into account the needs and concerns of all Member States.

The United Nations summit of world leaders in June was mandated at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar. Member States requested the General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann to organize the meeting “at the highest level”.

After the meeting of the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness in late March, donors members of the DAC will discuss steps undertaken in the implementation of the commitments of the Accra Agenda for Action and particularly look into the challenges arising from the global financial and economic crisis.

Carbon Expo 2009 will act again as the global meeting point for companies operating on the CO2 market. This international platform informs about the latest CO2 projects and climate development. The thematic focus is on cities and carbon finance.

Lithuania elects on national level a head of state—the president—and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people. The parliament (Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas) has 141 members, elected to a four year term, with 71 members elected in single-seat constituencies and 70 members elected by proportional representation. Lithuania has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.

Last month, the Cabinet approved setting the date of legislative elections for 16 May, thus opening the door for the registration of candidates. "The Council of Ministers has approved a decree project to elect members of parliament on Saturday 16 May", according to the state news agency KUNA, citing the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Faisal Al-Hajji, on 14 April. The decree was enacted by His Highness Amir Sabah and was put immediately into effect after the publication of the official newsletter.

The National Assembly, which has a 50-seat single chamber (Majlis al-Umma), will be occupied by the members elected by popular vote to serve a four-year term. All Cabinet ministers of His Majesty Amir Sabah are also members of the parliament allowed to vote. Sabah had dissolved the parliament on 18 March 2009.

World Economic Forum on the Middle East
Dead Sea, Jordan, 15-17 May 2009
Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for the Middle East
Home-grown Strategies for Success

2009 will bring unprecedented uncertainty to the Middle East. For this part of the world, the global economic predicament is coupled with highly volatile energy markets and large-scale erosion of asset values. The region’s economic landscape is being transformed. How will this transformation unfold throughout the year? The Middle East’s aspirations for prosperity will be challenged as it attempts to restore its own growth while navigating a complex geopolitical landscape.

Foreign ministers of the EU and their counterparts from the Rio Group, which includes countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, will meet on May 13, 2009 in Prague (Czech Republic) to discuss issues of great interest to both regions, particularly the effects of economic and financial crisis and sustainable approaches to energy security and climate change. The 14th ministerial meeting of the EU and the Rio Group will also provide an opportunity to discuss an initiative of the Commission focused on creating a funding mechanism that will promote interconnectivity in the region as a contribution to regional integration and address the economic crisis. After the meeting, on May 14, the Troika will hold several meetings with Central America, Mercosur, Chile and Mexico, to review the status of bilateral relations with these countries and groupings. The EU will be represented by the current Presidency, in particular by Jan Kohout, Foreign Minister of Czech Republic, and Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The Rio Group will be led by Mexico, represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Patricia Espinosa.

On 11 May an institutional act organised by the Spanish Bicentenary Commission ("la Comisión Española de los Bicentenarios") will be held in Madrid, in which various roundtables will deal with topics relative to the commemorations. The National Commission, the creation of which was approved in May 2007 by the Council of Ministers, is designed to prepare, programme and organise all kinds of initiatives to celebrate these events, promoting and coordinating the actions carried out by both the public and private sectors. This particular event will be led by the former head of the Spanish government, Felipe González, who was named as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary by Royal Decree on 4 July 2007.

The general elections in Panama in 2009 will be held on May 3. This consultation will be elected 1590 elected offices, among which are the President and Vice-President, 20 Members of the Central American Parliament, 71 members of the National Assembly, 75 mayors and 623 representatives of corregimiento and 6 councilmen, all with their respective alternates.

The 2009 legislative elections in Ecuador will take place on 26 April 2009. All positions are to be voted for, from the president to the mayors, also including national assembly members, as established in the Transition Regime of the new constitution, which was approved in the constitutional referendum on 28 September 2008.

During two days, representatives from the World Bank and the IMF, together with a large range of high-level representatives from other development actors, will discuss the outlooks for development and the work of these two international financial institutions. This year's edition will be marked by the global crisis and the role that the World Bank and the IMF should have in coping with the huge financial and economic challenges.

The first ARPEL Conference “Sustainable Development – The Role of the Oil and Gas Industry in Latin America and the Caribbean” will be of interest to executives and professionals of oil and gas companies, suppliers of the oil and gas industry, government delegates, professionals working on international institutions, financial institutions, universities, NGOs, and media related to the energy sector, specially the oil and gas sector.

Objectives
• Promote the dialogue and interaction with all those sectors associated to the value chain of the energy industry
• Make participants aware of the existing inter-relation among economic, environmental and social issues and what it means to address them at the strategic, operational and management level to the oil and gas industry sustainability and to sustainable development
• Provide a holistic and strategic approach to the most relevant issues that are on the energy industry agenda
• Exchange experiences and best practices on more specific industry topics from an integral viewpoint and under the perspective of different players
• Promote the capacity building of globally responsible leaders

Head of State: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (from 25 September 2008). Vice-president: Baleka MBETE (from 25 September 2008). Thabo Mbeki stood down from his role as president on 25 September 2008.

Elections: the president is elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (electable for a second term); the last elections were held on 25 September 2008. Note: Kgalema MOTLANTHE is completing Thabo Mbeki's term.

The Summits of the Americas has become a tool for dialogue at the highest level, which guides the inter-American system. For over a decade, the Heads of State and Government of the 34 American democracies have been meeting regularly to discuss local economic, political and social hemisphere and goals.

The biggest democracy in the world has now opened its electoral process. 714 million voters, grouped into 543 constituencies, will choose 543 ministers from 1055 political parties for the parliament (Lok Sabha).

The voting, which will be carried out by the different states, is programmed to take place over a one-month period. The recount and the final results will be announced on 16 May.

President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999), elected by popular vote for a five-year term. A November 2008 constitutional amendment abolished presidential term limits. Election last held 8 April 2004. Prime minister appointed by the president.

On 6-7 April 2009, the second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. The Forum promises to be the world’s premier event aimed at advancing intercultural understanding

The country has to hold a free and fair election at the April 5 run-off if it is to amend the negative image from last year’s violence-marred June general election that claimed one life and left several wounded amid a clash between rival ethnic Albanian parties.

Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic, supported by Prime Minister Robert Fico, failed to win a second term in the first round of presidential elections and will face an opposition candidate in a run-off in two weeks.

A NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government will be held on 3–4 April 2009 in Baden-Baden and Kehl, Germany, and in Strasbourg, France.

The meetings will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The President of the French Republic, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mrs Angela Merkel, will host the meetings.

The London Summit brings together leaders of the world’s advanced and emerging economies, including the G20, and representatives of international financial institutions to work cooperatively to restore stability and stimulate global economic growth.

The Summit aims to reach international agreement on:

coordinated actions to revive the global economy - to stimulate growth and employment
reforming and improving financial sectors and systems - to deliver progress on the Washington Action Plan to build better financial systems
principles for reform of international financial institutions (IFIs) - the International Monetary Fund, Financial Stability Forum and World Bank.

As a result from the outcomes of the Accra High-Level Forum, the WP-EFF will decide on its reform, restructuring its thematic organisation and giving greater representation and voice to Southern countries. The host country for the next High-Level Forum (in 2011) will be decided. Donors and partners will agree on next steps regarding the monitoring and evaluation of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

The IDB provides solutions to development challenges in 26 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, partnering with governments, companies and civil society organizations.

The IDB lends money and provides grants. It also offers research, advice and technical assistance to improve key areas like education, poverty reduction and agriculture. Our clients range from central governments to city authorities and small businesses.

The Bank also seeks to take a lead role on cross-border issues like trade, infrastructure and energy.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation creation of which was proclaimed on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its prototype is the Shanghai Five mechanism.

The main goals of the SCO are strengthening mutual confidence and good-neighbourly relations among the member countries; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade and economy, science and technology, culture as well as education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection and other fields; making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region, to move towards the establishment of a new, democratic, just and rational political and economic international order.

This 15th Annual Latin Upstream is a key event for the Latin American Continent, focused on the exploration industry, gas-LNG and GTL - with Speakers from Latin America and worldwide on competition, National Oil Companies, strategy and portfolio, new ventures, new hydrocarbon potential, regional risks and management issues, integration in energy markets, domestic and cross-border oil and gas ventures, Independents, basins and acreage, new Bid Rounds, competitor strategies, and the future of Latin American and Caribbean hydrocarbons.

Working to find ways to ensure the stabilization of global oil markets has always been one of OPEC's principal aims. With this year's International Seminar, our guest speakers and participants, all accomplished persons in their respective fields, will discuss the role petroleum will play in the development of emerging economies, as well as the realization of the Millennium Development Goals in an increasingly carbon-constrained world.

OPEC's mission is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital to those investing in the petroleum industry.

Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the Member States.

ECO is the successor organization of Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) which remained in existence since 1964 up to 1979.

In 1992, the Organization was expanded to include seven new members, namely: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.

The President of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will co-host a conference in Dar es Salaam at the Bank of Tanzania Conference Centre on March 10 and 11, 2009. The theme of the conference is "Changes—Successful Partnerships for Africa's Growth Challenge, and this high-level event will bring together some 300 policymakers and others—from Africa and beyond—with the common goal of forging a renewed partnership for growth in Africa. Participants will draw lessons from the successes of economic reforms, examine responses to the challenge of strengthening growth, and elaborate on the evolving roles of partners—particularly the IMF—in supporting African countries.

The Doha Conference will be an opportunity for all of our stakeholders and supporters - governments, civil society organizations, companies, investors and development organisations - to take stock of the benefits and progress of the EITI, find common solutions for challenges, and chart the next steps for advancing this growing global initiative.

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FRIDE ceased its think tank activities on 31st December 2015 for economic reasons. The Board of Trustees had to take this difficult decision since,
despite many efforts to diversify its funding sources, FRIDE cannot sustain its think tank operations with a view to 2016 and beyond.

Established in 1999, FRIDE has made a major contribution to shape debate on Europe’s external activities in an increasingly challenging international environment.
It has covered issues ranging from democracy and human rights to sustainable development, new approaches to multilateral cooperation and security affairs.
FRIDE’s long-standing focus on the extended neighbourhood of the European Union proves today all the more relevant given widespread turbulence in the region.
FRIDE’s emphasis on the importance of the values framing Europe’s external activities is central to current political debates in Europe and beyond.
This shows the need for continued engagement in the pursuit of a common European foreign policy that is both effective and informed by the core values of European integration.

The Board wishes to thank Diego Hidalgo, FRIDE’s founder, for his tireless commitment and very generous support for many years.
The Board also wishes to thank FRIDE’s dedicated staff, the members of the Board and the Advisory Committee for their contribution in making FRIDE
one of the top foreign policy think tanks in Europe. We are very grateful to all those who have supported FRIDE’s work and projects over the years
and we thank the many partners from all parts of the world who have worked with FRIDE on joint initiatives. We hope that FRIDE’s extensive input to
the debate on Europe in the world will continue to inform thinking and action at a very critical time for Europe’s future.